House of Rycon
The House of Rycon is a Lunarian imperial and royal dynasty of English and Kiwi origin, founded by the "father of Lunar independence" Rupert Rycon. The founder of the dynasty did not, during his own lifetime, accept or seek any regal title or position, but rather relished in elected office. Rupert Rycon's parents had emigrated to Luna in 2100 from New Zealand, and brought with them their Anglican faith. To this day, the House of Rycon is one of a number of nominally Anglican royal houses on Earth, most of which consist of the House of Windsor an its several cadet branches of royal and ducal rank. Following Rupert Rycon's death, his descendants sought and were conferred the sovereign title Emperor of Luna. With the acceptance of the Lunar State into the Terran Federation, and the later consolidation of the federal government and federal system of honours, the Lunar imperial title became a hereditary governorship of Luna. Over time, the imperial-rank House of Rycon became closely aligned to the political cause of House Compton, a fellow house of imperial rank. With the establishment of the Terran Empire in 2600, the House of Rycon were conferred hereditary state honours with its head holding the title Lord High Steward and having the authority to act as Prince-Regent in times of an interregnum, an imperial minority, or other situations in which the reigning Terran sovereign required another to act in his or her stead. Many historians consequently refer to House Rycon as having been the "right hand of the Terran Emperor". The Rycon emperors of Luna were among the first sovereigns to submit themselves to the Terran Emperor, and their emperordom became thereafter a peerage title. The recent heads of House Rycon, including Frederick Foal Rycon and his son--and current dynastic head--Philip Peregrine Rycon have been also instrumental in the development of the Empire to the Republic due to their involvement with several political parties advocating human unification in the 3200s. Frederick Rycon notably served as Prince-Regent in the early 3230s and mid-3260s in two separate terms, and as Prime Minister from 3237 to 3268. Emperor Philip Rycon served as the Republic's first Prime Minister and the inaugural First Consul from 3276 to 3288, though he is now retired from Central Government service. Dynasts of the House of Rycon have a demonstrative tendency towards alliterative first and middle names, a tradition maintained throughout their existence as a noble house. Ancestry The House of Rycon traces its roots to a family of commoners from Christchurch, New Zealand. A Kiwi of English, French, and Irish descent named Ferdinand Foch Rycon (2059-2166), a veteran of World War III, his wife Anahera "Ana" Rycon (2062-2101), a Māori woman, emigrated to the Commonwealth-built lunar colony of Cambridge in the Tycho crater along with their son, Ronald Clive Rycon (2088-2152). They had a second son in 2101, Rupert Reuel Rycon, but Ana died in childbirth. In 2112, the colony of Cambridge was joined with the larger American Von Braun City in Clavius crater to form the Lunar Association, a loose grouping of lunar colonies with ties to the Western Allies, which largely formed as a free-trade zone and customs union. In 2129, the various lunar colonies were placed under UN administration as an expanded Lunar Association. The Rycons moved to Von Braun City in the early 2120s. In the 2130s and 2140s, Rupert Rycon became a leading proponent of Lunarian political autonomy and self-determination. In 2134, the United Nations devolved responsible government to the autonomous Lunar colonies, but this gradually fomented a Lunar independence movement, which Rupert Rycon came to champion as leader of the Lunar Home Rule Party. The Lunar Independence movement grew, in spite of the dissolution of the Lunar Parliament in 2150, until it exploded into revolution and violence in 2152, in which Rupert Rycon led the Lunarians successfully against UN troops and negotiated their independence, though his elder brother died in the fighting. Rupert ruled as alternately Prime Minister and President of the Lunar Republic until his assassination in 2196 at the height of the Interplanetary War. His son, Thomas Timber Rycon (2031-2222) managed the early Lunar war effort as Minister of War. After Rupert's death, Thomas succeeded him as head of the Lunar government. His ruthlessness, particularly his ordering of seven colony drops onto Earth during the war, earned him infamy as a war criminal. During the war, he was declared Perpetual President of the Lunar Republic, and also was chosen as chairman of the Congress of Solar Nations. Nevertheless, the CSN was defeated in the war. In the armistice and subsequent peace treaty that ended the war, Thomas Rycon was granted immunity from prosecution. In the postwar settlement, Luna became a member state of the Terran Federation. In 2200s, Thomas groomed his son Philip to succeed him as President, as part of a transition to a Lunarian monarchy. Upon assumption of power, Philip was declared Emperor by the Lunar Parliament, beginning the Emperordom of Luna. Emperor of Luna The head of the House of Rycon ruled as sovereign emperors of Luna from the establishment of the Emperordom in 2222 until the abolition of allodial sovereignty in 2600 at the creation of the Terran Empire. The Rycon emperors were among the first nobles to 'bend the knee' to the Terran Emperor and were consequently conferred great prestige and power. The Emperor of Luna was vested with the hereditary Lord High Stewardship of the Empire, and exercised any Princely Regency in cases of Imperial interregnum, absence, or minority. The Lunar emperors were considered by many commentators to be the "right hand" of the Terran ruler. The Sovereign Emperors of Luna were: * Philip I (Philip Patrice Rycon, 2161-2271), reigned 2222-2271 ** son, Gregory Galahad Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (2299-2266) * grandson, Rupert I (Reinhard Rupert Rycon, 2222-2290), reigned 2271-2280 * son, Philip II (Philip Percival Rycon, 2250-2300), reigned 2280-2300 * son, Philip III (Percy Philip Rycon, 2299-2380), reigned 2300-2380 * son, Frederick I (Frederick Francis Rycon, 2333-2389), reigned 2380-2389 * daughter, Anahera I (Aveline Anahera Rycon, 2366-2391), reigned 2389-2391 * son, Philip IV (Peter Philip Rycon, 2390-2500), reigned 2391-2449 * son, Rupert II (Robert Rupert Rycon, 2419-2550), reigned 2449-2550 * son, Philip V (Philip Peter Rycon, 2450-2560), reigned 2550-2560 * son, Frederick II (Francis Frederick Rycon, 2481-2588), reigned 2560-2588 ** son, Ronald Robert Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (2500-2580) * grandson, Frederick III (Frederick Fontaine Rycon, 2530-2605), reigned 2580-2600 Near the end of Frederick III's sovereign rule, the Terran Empire was established and all member worlds of the Terran Dominion and all nobles with allodial fief or title were compelled to 'bend the knee', or submit themselves to the sovereignty of the Emperor. All noble titles became peerages, from the lowest lord to the most esteemed emperor. The Emperor of Luna became a peerage title thereafter. Peer Emperors of Luna have been: * Frederick III (Frederick Fontaine Rycon, 2530-2605), incumbent 2600-2605 * son, Philip VI (Philip Persimmons Rycon, 2568-2660), incumbent 2605-2660 * sister, Marian I (Marian Madeleine Rycon, 2570-2677), incumbent 2660-2677 * son, Frederick IV (Frederick Freiheit Rycon, 2600-2701), incumbent 2677-2701 * son, Philip VII (Philip Paxton Rycon, 2630-2800), incumbent 2701-2800 * son, Philip VIII (Philip Peter Rycon, 2669-2888), incumbent 2800-2888 * son, Frederick V (Frederick Florian Rycon, 2707-2889), incumbent 2888-2889 * daughter, Marian II (Marian Martina Rycon, 2740-2890), incumbent 2889-2990 * son, Rupert III (Rupert Roland Rycon, 2770-2890), incumbent 2890 * son, Philip IX (Philip Parker Rycon, 2802-2891), incumbent 2890-2991 ** son, Thomas Theodore Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (2836-2890) * grandson, Philip X (Philip Parnell Rycon, 2880-2992), incumbent 2891-2992 ** son, Leonard Louis Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (2911-2990) *** son, Michael Martin Rycon, Prince of Granada (2944-2989) * great-grandson Philip XI (Philip Paris Rycon, 2977-3079), incumbent 2992-3079 * brother, Frederick VI (Frederick Flavius Rycon, 2979-3099), incumbent 3079-3099 * son, Philip XII (Paul Philip Rycon, 3001-3110), incumbent 3099-3110 * sister, Marian III (Marian Minerva Rycon, 3005-3111), incumbent 3110-3111 ** son, Alaric Alan Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (3030-3109) * grandson, Rupert IV (Reginald Rupert Rycon, 3066-3127), incumbent 3111-3127 * brother, Philip XIII (Philip Pausanias Rycon, 3069-3127), incumbent 3127 * son, Philip XIV (Philip Patrick Rycon, 3100-3208), incumbent 3127-3208 ** son, Jonathan James Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (3140-3205) * grandson, Frederick VII (Frederick Foal Rycon, 3201-3270), incumbent 3208-3270 * son, Philip XV (Philip Peregrine Rycon, 3246-), incumbent 3270- ** son, Eta Eric Rycon, Crown Prince of Luna (3269-) Full title * His Imperial Majesty, The Emperor of Luna, Duke of the Ocean of Storms, Duke of Imbrium, Duke of Nubium, Prince of Fecundity, Prince of Nectar, Prince of Vapours, Count of Granada. Other titles The Lunar Emperors often conferred titles of nobility to their heirs and children, sometimes as appanages and sometimes as substantive title within the Lunar peerage. With the end of Lunar allodial rule and the conversion of the Lunar emperordom to a peerage in the Terran system, all grants of peerages became the prerogative of the Terran Crown. The Lunar Emperors made recommendations that, in practice, were almost always followed. The Lunar Emperor retained the right to confer courtesy titles such as "Prince", as regulated by the House Law of the House of Rycon. Such titles include: * Duke/Duchess of Tranquillity, carrying the style of His/Her Imperial Highness; typically conferred to the first-born legitimate child and heir apparent of the Lunar Emperor. The Duke of Tranquillity is generally also conferred the courtesy title Crown Prince of Luna. * Duke/Duchess of Serenity, carrying the style of His/Her Serene Highness; typically conferred to the second-born legitimate child of the Lunar Emperor. Currently held by Princess Anastasia Rycon. * Duke of Anguis, carrying the style of His/Her Highness; created for Prince William Wenceslaus Rycon, illegitimate eldest son of Crown Prince Jonathan Rycon, and currently held by William's grandson Baldwin (b. 3242). * Prince of Tycho, carrying the style of His/Her Highness; created for State Security General Julius Alexander Vox, and is a promoted form of Vox's previous title Count of Tycho. * Count of Shackleton, carrying the style of The Right Honourable; typically created for the first-born child of the Duke/Duchess of Tranquillity. * Count of Tycho, carrying the style of The Right Honourable; typically created for the second-born legitimate child of the Duke/Duchess of Tranquillity. Most recently created for Princess Aveline Rycon, daughter and second-born child of Prince Jonathan Rycon; she passed the title to her son Matthias Rycon. Upon his death, the title went into abeyance but as conferred by the Terran House of Lords to General Vox when he was legitimised as Matthias Rycon's biological son. * Count of Clavius, carrying the style of The Right Honourable; typically created for the first-born legitimate child of the Duke/Duchess of Serenity.